Yettinahole, protest against CM at Surathkal today

Yettinahole, protest against CM at Surathkal today

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, April 21, 2016: It is reliably reported that activists of the Netravathi Rakshana Samyutka Samiti will stage a silent protest at Surathkal Junction on April 21, Thursday (Today) to urge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to drop the Yettinahole project.

Speaking to media on Apr 20, Wednesday one of the conveners of the samiti, Satyajith Surathkal, said that the activists would wear black bands around their mouth and carry empty water pots during the protest at 4 p.m.

The committee reiterated that the government should constitute a Netravathi River Authority to ensure rights of people of Daskhina Kannada over its waters. People of Dakshina Kannada in general and those living on its banks had rights to use the Netravathi waters. “It cannot be taken away by the government,” he said.

Samiti Convener Satyajit Suratkal alleged that the state government has been showing step motherly attitude towards Dakshina Kannada district. M B Patil, the minister of water resources, is holding meetings in other districts, but he has not chaired any meeting in Dakshina Kannada, which shows the negligent attitude of the government towards the district. It seems that legislators from the district have no say in the functioning of the government, he expressed dissatisfaction.

Advisory board member M G Hegade said that the Nethravathi Samyukta Rakshana Samiti is the consolidation of all committees which are fighting for the common cause of protecting River Nethravathi and urging the government to stop the Yettinahole project. In the new committee, Ajit Kumar Rai Maladi, Jaya C Suvarna, Rajiv Kanchan, Mohammed Masood and Fr J B Crasta are the honorary presidents, while Vijay Kumar Shetty is the president. The advisory board vice presidents, legal and technical advisory committee general secretaries, secretaries, conveners and others are experts in various fields, who will fight against the project, he explained.

The committee opposed diverting the Netravathi and its tributaries under the guise of different drinking water or irrigation projects. The government should fix a date to consult the people of Dakshina Kannada with regard to stopping the Yettinahole project and constituting the authority. It said that they are ready to face arrest or any action. Ramachandra Baikampadi, Yogish Shetty Jeppu, Shashiraj Shetty Kolambe, Pruthviraj Rai, Vasudev Boloor, Anant Adyar, Dinakar Shetty were present.